Player's Handbook
Please note that this guide is intended as a supplement to the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook, not a replacement. Introduction to the d20 System The d20 system consists of rolling a die and adding certain modifiers to the result, then comparing them against a target number in order to perform a specific action. These modifiers include the modifiers for your character's six ability scores - Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Wisdom, Intelligence and Charisma - and modifiers from armor, weapons and magical items that your character has accumulated over the course of their adventures. The main dice used in the d20 system are the d4, d6, d9, d10, d12 and d20. Any powers, abilities, attack rolls, skills checks, etc. that your character uses will specify what type of die must be rolled to perform that action, as well as how many. How to Play In the world of Zelda d20, you become your character and dictate what actions they take in the fantasy world; the Dungeon Master (DM) decides if these actions succeed. Through your character, you can interact with the world with complete freedom, the only limits being your imagination (and perhaps the result of a dice roll). Each adventure your characters embark on consists, very basically, of a series of encounters. Anything interesting that happens - a night raid by Technoblins, tense negotiations with the king for passage through Hyrule Field - is considered an encounter for game purposes. All encounters boil down to two types: * Combat encounters. '''A powerful Bokoblin Leader blocks your path; a swarm of angry Keese surround you and prevent your passage through Faron Woods. These are all combat encounters, situations in which your characters must fight powerful foes using every ability and attack power at their disposal. Combat encounters usually consist of taking turns until one party is defeated. * '''Noncombat encounters. '''These encounters are everything else that happens - traps, puzzles, and other obstacles that your characters must overcome to advance their quest. Sometimes characters have to use their skills and knowledge to succeed, and other times the player must rely on their own know-how to solve a riddle or figure out where the Twili leader might be hiding the Sols. Between encounters, your characters can freely explore the world. At any time, however, casual exploration can turn into a thrilling combat encounter, so be on your guard! The d20 MechanicCategory:Player's Handbook As explained earlier, there are three basic steps to taking an action in the world of Zelda d20. * '''Roll a die. This is usually going to be a d20, but can vary based on what power, ability, etc. you're using. * Add all relevant modifiers. '''Factor in ability score modifiers, if applicable, and bonuses/penalties from equipment you're wearing. * '''Compare the total to a target number. '''This number is usually decided by the DM ahead of time, based on how difficult the DM thinks the action you're trying to take is. If the resulting number is higher than or equal to the target number, you succeed. If your check result is lower than the target number, you fail. Example: Link, a Hylian warrior, wants to lift a heavy boulder to save his friend. The DM decides that since the boulder is very heavy, he'll need a check result of 15 or higher. The player controlling Link rolls a 13 on the d20, then adds Link's +3 Strength modifier. The result is check result of 16, higher than the target number of 15, so Link succeeds at the action and saves his friend! Always Round Down Unless otherwise stated, if you end up with a fraction as the result of a calculation, '''always round down even if the fraction is 1/2 or larger. For example, if you are trying to calculate one-half the level of a level 13 fighter, you would get a result of 6.5, which you would then round down to 6. Specific Trumps General If a specific rule comes into conflict with a general rule, the specific rule always wins. For example, one general rule states that you can't use a daily power when charging. But if your character has a daily power that says it can be used when charging, that power's specific rule wins. (It doesn't mean you can use any daily power when charging; only that one.) Creating a Character Are you ready to plunge into the world of Zelda using d20 rules? First you have to make a character! It's the first step in starting a game, and it begins with your imagination. Imagine what sort of person your character is; what they look like, how they behave, what powers they have. Then tailor your character using a variety of Zelda d20 races and classes. For example, let's look at one of the most iconic characters of the Zelda franchise, Link. Because we know that he's a Hylian, we'll choose that race template for him. Next, we know that he's good with a sword, so we'll choose the Fighter class for him. Finally, he'll need to decide what role he wants to play in the party. Because a fighter is a strongly defensive martial class, and Hylians have a racial power (Hylian premonition) ''that helps determine enemy actions ahead of time, let's decide that Link will play the '''defender' role in the party. Now we can select his powers and abilities accordingly. In brief, here is a description of all potential character roles in the game. It's a good idea to have one character to cover each of these roles, but if you don't, it isn't a gamebreaker. * Controller. '''These characters can deal with large groups of enemies at a time, using devastating area attacks to reduce their numbers and weakening, confusing and stunning individual enemies. They focus more on offense than defense. Good controller classes include wizards, invokers and some warlocks. Assassins can also be built to serve a controller role if needed. * '''Defender. These characters have extremely high defense and excellent close-up offense. They are typically the front-line fighters, and have powers that make it hard for enemies to ignore them in battle. Good defender classes include fighters and paladins. * Leader. 'These characters inspire and aid their companions, often healing them in combat and encouraging them with a variety of powers and abilities. Good leader classes include warlords and clerics. * '''Striker. '''These characters specialize in dealing very high damage to one target at a time. They have an extremely concentrated offense and rely on superior mobility to get to their foes. Good striker classes include assassins, rogues, rangers and warlocks. Ability Scores and Modifiers Now that you have a basic template for your character, you'll need to assign them some ability scores. These six abilities are key for determining what your character can and can't do in the game. You can find more information about ability scores on their respective pages, but here they are in brief: * '''Strength. '''This is your character's physical power, and usually determines how hard they hit in hand-to-hand combat. It's vital for martial classes, but not so much for arcane classes or characters who don't need to do much heavy lifting. * '''Constitution. '''This is your character's stamina and life force. Characters with high Constitution scores are harder to kill and last longer in battle. It's vital for all characters, no matter the race or class, so make sure you develop it appropriately, or you'll find yourself getting felled in one hit. * '''Dexterity. '''This is your character's balance, reflexes and hand-eye coordination. Characters who used ranged attacks or want to strike their opponents quickly need this skill, and it's also important for characters who want to be stealthy or take enemies by surprise. * '''Intelligence. '''This is a measure of how well your character reasons and learns. It's extremely important for arcane classes such as wizards, and is also key for characters who want to learn more languages or unlock hidden secrets. * '''Wisdom. '''This is your character's self-discipline and empathy. It determines how many details they notice about a scene, and is important for characters who want to find hidden doors or treasure chests. * '''Charisma. '''This is your character's leadership and force of personality. It helps you convince and persuade other characters to do what you want, and is also important for paladin and warlock powers. Ability scores can be generated randomly by rolling a d20 six times, and then assigning the resulting numbers to each skill. For example, a character who wants to specialize in Strength would take the highest number they got out of six d20 rolls and assign that value to their Strength score. Ability modifiers are easy to calculate. Just subtract 10 from the ability score, divide by 2, and round down. For example, Shinutai, a Twili sorceror, has an Intelligence score of 16. Her ability modifier is 16-10(/2) = '+3. Defenses After determining your character's ability scores, you must determine their four defenses: AC, Fortitude, Reflex and Will. In brief, here's how to find them: # Add 10 to one-half your level. '''Remember the "round down" rule! # '''Add armor or shield bonuses, if applicable. '''Some armor and shields will bolster your defenses. # '''Add ability modifiers. '''For Fortitude, add your Strength or Constitution modifier, whichever is higher; for Reflex, add your Dexterity or Intelligence modifier, whichever is higher; for Will, add your Charisma or Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher. For AC, if you are wearing light armor (cloth, leather or hide) add your Intelligence or Dexterity modifier, whichever is higher. Certain feats may also provide your character with defense bonuses. Alignment Choosing an alignment for your character indicates their dedication to a set of moral principles. There are five basic alignments that you can choose from: * '''Good. '''You think it is right to aid and protect those in need. You put others' needs above your own, which sometimes results in putting yourself directly in harm's way; but as a self-proclaimed hero of the people, you believe that whatever is just and good is always necessary. You follow rules and respect authority, but you know that power corrupts, and you're not afraid to bend a few laws to get what you believe to be the correct moral outcome. * '''Lawful Good. '''You hold a deep respect for the law and authority, and you think that these codes of morality will serve best in achieving your ideals. You believe that all life has value, and you protect the weak and lift the downtrodden as a personal mission, always putting others before yourself. You also value the law and what it stands for, and try to avoid rebelliousness and lawlessness at all costs; this tendency may put you in conflict with Good characters, who aren't afraid to challenge authority to do what they think is right. * '''Evil. '''You don't necessarily go out of your way to hurt others, but you're willing to take advantage of the weak to get what you want. You don't help others unless you stand to gain something out of it, and you support a structure of law that gets you power, no matter if the laws put others in harm's way. * '''Chaotic Evil. '''You have a complete disregard for others and see no value in human life. You are the only being that matters and in your eyes, you should have absolute power over everyone else around you. Your actions are destructive, your words meaningless; your promises are always empty. Other characters see you as shamelessly manipulative, unafraid of conflict and uncaring of opposition. * '''Unaligned. '''You don't wish others ill or seek to harm them, but you also don't go out of your way to put yourself at risk for others. You support law and order when they benefit you, and generally go with the flow of things, choosing whatever seems right to you in that moment rather than allowing others to determine for you what is right and wrong. Most hero characters are Lawful Good or Good, but an Unaligned character may also be interesting, as they would have a much greater freedom of decision-making. Take the following example: Alasar, a lawful good wizard, and Tyra, an unaligned sorceror, come across a traveler whose village has been demolished by Bokoblins. He asks them to infiltrate the camp of the Bokoblin leader and assassinate him - a task that will obviously put the entire party of adventurers at serious risk. Alasar jumps at the opportunity, ready to purge evil from the land even if it costs him his life, but Tyra decides that the situation won't benefit her in any way and is too much of a risk, so she declines to accompany him. Deities There are several major deities that characters can choose to worship. Their alignment may affect this decision; for example, lawful good characters often worship Nayru, because she is the embodiment of law, while an evil or chaotic evil character might turn to Ganondorf as a deity. * '''Farore. '''As the Goddess of Courage, she is often associated with deeds of great heroism. She is said to have created all the lifeforms that would uphold Nayru's law. Many fighters and good characters pay homage to her. * '''Din. '''Popular among those who seek power over others, she is a symbol of strength and dominance. She is often associated with volcanoes and fire, and is said to have shaped the earth itself in Hyrule's early days. * '''Nayru. '''Lawful good characters often revere her for creating the spirit of law in the world. She is commonly depicted as a wise and loving goddess, but she can also be ruthless towards those who disobey the law. * '''Hylia. '''Popular among Hylians, she is revered as the savior of humankind; it is said that long ago, she protected the Triforce from the evil Demon King, Demise. * '''The Goddess of the Sand. '''She is most commonly worshipped among the Gerudo, but other beings also revere her as a goddess of the desert and of snakes. * '''Ganondorf. '''Evil and chaotic evil characters turn to him in search of power. He grants his followers dark, forbidden magic in a constant pursuit of the Triforce, a relic of immense power left behind after the Golden Goddesses departed the earth. Gaining Levels One of the most rewarding aspects of the game is gaining levels, which improves your character in a variety of ways. Every time your character overcomes a noncombat encounter, defeats monsters, or completes a quest, you are awarded '''experience points (XP) by the DM. Earning enough XP results in your character gaining a level. Here is the process of gaining a level, explained in several steps. To determine how much XP you need to gain levels and what bonuses you receive to your ability scores per level, refer to the Character Advancement '''table in the '''Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook. # '''Ability Scores. '''Check your Ability Scores to see if they will improve at this level. At 4th, 8th, 14th, 18th, 24th and 28th levels, you increase two ability scores by 1 (but not the same score twice). At 11th and 21st level, you increase all ability scores by 1. # '''Level Modifiers. '''If your new level is an even number, everything based on one-half your level gets better. This includes your attacks, defenses, skill checks and ability checks. You should have made a character sheet by now; go through and make those changes. # '''Paragon and Epic Tiers. '''If you reached 11th or 21st level, you can choose a paragon path or an epic destiny, which are described in Chapter 4 of the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook. After making your decision, note any new powers or features you gain. # '''Hit Points. '''Check your class description to see how many hit points you gain per level, then add that number to your total. Increasing your Constitution score increases your hit points by 11. If you increased your Constitution score to an even number, increase your number of healing surges by 1. # '''Class Features. '''Check your class features to see if any of your powers or abilities improve with leveling. # '''Feats. '''Check to see if you learn any new feats. You learn one feat at 1st level and one new feat at every even-numbered level after that, plus one new feat at 11th and 21st levels. If you increased your ability scores, you might meet the prequisites for some feats you didn't qualify for before, so check on that, too. # '''Powers. '''Most levels grant you access to one new power. You can only take each power once. Refer to your class description for a full list of what powers are available to you. Category:Core Rulebooks